Press release on Penukonda Train accident

Press release on 16591 Hampi express accident at Penukonda on 22/05/2012 at 3.15 hrs.

         

This association wish to submit the following facts to your esteemed news paper for publication.

          The railways before conducting an enquiry, hastly declared that loco pilot ignored the home signal without analyzing the reasons for the incident. Both the home signals for lines coming from Dharmavaram and Sathyasai Prasanti nilayam towards Penukonda are somewhat close and the Hampi express coming from Dharmavaram first sights the signal from Sathyasainilayam and only when very close to Penukonda sights the concerned signal. Following are the reasons leading to accident.

1). In the said accident involved Guntakal loco pilots were working only up to Dharmavaram from Guntakal till 2009 and later it was extended to Bangalore and Bangalore Loco pilots spell of run was extended from Dharmavaram to Gundakal increasing the total working hours to 10 if right time, increasing fatigue. The parliamentary standing committee on safety recommended 8 hours duty in 2004 and railways rejected it.

2). The Gundakal based Loco pilots have to work train towards 6 directions like Bangalore, Solapur, Gundakal, Hubli, Renigunta and Secundrabad. Similarly Bangalore Loco pilots have to work towards Gundakal, Arasikare, Mysore, Erode and Chennai and they happened to work in a particular direction only once in 30 or 40 days and familiarity of rail road is lost. To save 2 or 3 sets of crew railways extended the run of Loco pilots and invited this accident.

3). The WDP4 Loco involved in accident was in long hood direction where the visibility from driving cab is very poor. The railway board specially ordered the originally twin cab Loco from GM Motors as single cab and done away with the turning table that were available at all junction stations during steam period with seant regard to safety.

4). The railway rule insist to work 6 nights continuously in a week which is beyond human capacity. The research wing of railway the RDSO recommended long back 2 continues duty in a week, but railway rejected.

5). The weekly rest for Loco pilots are only four 30 hours and five 22 hours and railways in recent past tightened the crew links with five 22 hours weekly rest which is insufficient. Since now as days railways creating economy by not filling up of vacancies meager 30/22 hours weekly rest is denied to keep the wheels of the nation moves. Out of the total sanctioned strength of 60, 000 Loco pilots and assistant loco pilots in Indian railways 17, 000 are kept vacant but the vacancies of the ruling class bureaucracy is 100 % full.

6). Lastly according to rule points of any station are to be normally set towards non occupied line, but at Penukonda points were set towards occupied line and this rear collision happened.          

                                                                                                            L. MONY